All the blessed, admitted into heaven, know each other perfectly, even before the general resurrection. This is proved by Scripture as well as by tradition.
I shall confine myself to quoting the New Testament to you; I shall content myself, too, with the parable of the rich man, and with some words that have reference to the Last Judgment.
This parable is so fine that I cannot resist the pleasure of placing some of its leading... Read More

Angels, Ghosts, and Godparents
Description: Have you ever wondered if ghosts exist or if damnation is real? Today, Dan Burke and Melissa Elson get the answers to these questions and more when they speak with Fr. Michael Kerper about his book A Priest Answers 27 Questions You Never Thought to Ask.
Topics/Questions covered in the show:
Why do godparents of a Catholic child need to be Catholic?
What is the real role of a godparent?
Is... Read More

Why are saints sometimes pictured with skulls?
Does that mean they are preoccupied with death? There sure seems to be an awful lot of that in old art. God bless you and your ministry.
Yes, indeed, skulls make frequent appearances in Christian art, even today. I can understand your question about this practice; because, putting skulls everywhere can seem kind of morbid – especially for those of us who live in a... Read More

Ash Wednesday
Presence of God – I place myself in Your presence, O Lord; illumine with Your light the eternal truths, and awaken in my soul a sincere desire for conversion.
MEDITATION:
“Dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return” (Genesis 3:19).
These words, spoken for the first time by God to Adam after he had committed sin, are repeated today by the Church to every Christian, in order to remind him of two... Read More

Is it a Sin to Ask for Death?
Dear Father John, When I am in great despair the temptation is to ask for death. Is that not a sin if despair drives me?
I think you may have an incomplete or inaccurate idea about the nature of despair. When understood as a sin and not simply an emotional experience, despair consists of giving up on God, of freely concluding that “I am such a horrible sinner that not even God can forgive... Read More

Does God Heal After Death?
People who do evil are sick…and, at death, God will heal them.
In my last post, God’s Not Mean so Hell’s Not Possible, I related a conversation that I had recently. My friend had asserted that since God is all good He wouldn’t possibly send anyone to hell and eternal suffering. What bolstered his argument was this assertion: people who do evil are sick (i.e. it’s not their fault) and... Read More

God’s Not Mean So Hell’s Not Possible
I had a conversation recently with a good and intelligent person who began by saying he didn’t believe in hell or the devil. The upshot of it was this: that God is good and forgiving and would never condemn anyone to unending suffering. He just wouldn’t do that. That would be mean and God can’t be mean.
What he expressed, on one hand, was actually a beautiful statement of faith... Read More

Responding to Assisted Suicide Issues
(Part II of II)
Editor's Note: In part one, we talked about the suffering of innocents and whether or not it is possible to win all arguments. Today, we will look reflect on the sacredness of human life and the meaning in suffering. Here is the question we are examining:
Dear Fr. Bartunek, as usual, your reflections are quite helpful and I often share your wisdom with others. However, I have... Read More

Responding to Assisted Suicide Issues
(Part I of II)
Dear Fr. Bartunek, as usual, your reflections are quite helpful and I often share your wisdom with others. However, I have a big question regarding the idea that God permits some evil, and the suffering that comes from it, even the suffering of innocents. Recently, I had a discussion with my ob-gyn regarding assisted suicide, which is now legal in California. Her question was... Read More

Are You Living It Right?
I wonder sometimes about the outcome of a still verdictless life. Am I living it right?
John Mayer
God uses nature and the seasons to teach us many lessons about life. If you’ve been reading [my] blog, you’ve probably noticed that I like to write about autumn simply because I think it is the most poetic season (at least in New England), a season that teaches us many lessons. Last week I... Read More

Dan Burke and Melissa Elson reflect on the meditations of Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen regarding blind obedience. The post Reflecting on Blind Obedience appeared first on SpiritualDirection.com / Catholic Spiritual Direction.

Dan Burke and Melissa Elson speak with Dr. Holly Ordway about her contribution to the book "From Atheism to Catholicism" to find out what drew her to the Catholic Church. The post From Atheism to Catholicism appeared first on SpiritualDirection.com / Catholic Spiritual Direction.

Dan Burke and Melissa Elson reflect on the meditations of Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen and the meaning of true glory. The post The Meaning of True Glory appeared first on SpiritualDirection.com / Catholic Spiritual Direction.